Wednesday, June 27, 2018

" The underrated European country that's sure to improve your health" -- article in The Telegraph by Paul Bloomfield

Excellent travel article in The Telegraph:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/articles/hiking-in-macedonia/








"Neighbours like Slovenia attract the hiking hordes. It’s surely only a matter of time till that changes, though: Macedonia’s credentials as a lakes-and-mountains hotspot are exemplary"
  Neighbours like Slovenia attract the hiking hordes. It’s surely only a matter of time till that changes, though: Macedonia’s credentials as a lakes-and-mountains hotspot are exemplary" Credit: ISTOCK

The underrated European country that's sure to improve your health

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

World Partnerships -- Seasons of Diplomacy Dinner -- Meeting with Macedonian Judge

I was delighted to attend the World Partnerships Seasons of Diplomacy dinner in St. Petersburg back in AprilThis was a part of  their hosting 80 leaders from 58 countries on behalf of a US Department of State Special Initiative: Towards a More Safe and Secure World.

In addition to supporting World Partnerships, I was there to meet a judge from Macedonia -- Judge Krstikjeska of the Primary Court in Skopje. We had an engaging conversation over dinner. I am looking forward to visiting her at the courthouse on my next trip to Skopje.

It was a pleasure to meet Charlotte Titus, the Chief of the Europe and Eurasia Branch of the Office of International Visitors, who spoke at the dinner as well.

During the welcome reception before the dinner, we heard a presentation from one of the founders of the American Freedom Distillery and its Horse Soldier Bourbon. Wow! These are the famous soldiers who responded to the call after 9/11. If you don't already know their story, click on the link below to learn more.

For more about World Partnerships, see http://www.worldpartnerships.org/about.html

For more about the American Freedom Distillery, see https://www.americanfreedomdistillery.com/

And the 12 Strong movie trailer -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Denciie5oA
with Judge Krstikjeska
at the registration -- with Gary Springer, of World Partnerships, along with Judge Krstikjeska and a police officer from Scotland
 

with Mary Ellen Upton of World Partnerships

the Chief of the Europe and Eurasia Branch of the Office of International Visitors, Charlotte Titus

I appreciate all that Gary and Mary Ellen do at World Partnerships to bring international visitors to St Pete (photo of one of the centerpieces)

with one of the founders of the American Freedom Distillery -- wonderful to hear about the Horse Soldiers -- and about the bourbon. If you don't already know their amazing story - please check out the link above - as well as the trailer to the movie about them and their mission, 12 Strong. I very much enjoyed the bourbon. Need to go buy a bottle of the Horse Soldier!

the molds for the bottles are made from steel from the World Trade Center

Monday, June 25, 2018

Macedonian Journalist -- Arta Tahiri -- Edward R Murrow Program -- IVLP -- World Partnerships

It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to meet with Macedonian journalist Arta Tahiri when she was visiting St. Petersburg as a part of the distinguished Edward R. Murrow program.

Thanks to Gary and Mary Ellen and World Partnerships for connecting us when hosting this IVLP - International Visitor Leadership Program

For more about IVLP, see https://www.iie.org/Programs/IVLP

For more about World Partnerships, see http://www.worldpartnerships.org/

in my office at USFSP


on a quick tour of the USFSP waterfront campus

Monday, June 18, 2018

Elected to the SEEU Board of Trustees

I am honored to have been elected to the South East European University Board of Trustees, effective during the June 2018 Board meeting.

https://www.seeu.edu.mk/en/about/organization-management/university-board

I participated in this meeting via Skype videoconference, as I was in California participating in the Civic  Learning and Democratic Engagement CLDE 2018 conference.  (I organized a Think Tank session with my colleague Prof. Elizabeth Bennion about "Civic Engagement in the Online Classroom.")  For me, the meetings took place between Midnight and 4:00 AM, and my next meeting at the conference started at 7:30 AM. So it made for a long night. However, I wanted very much to participate in this first Board meeting as well as the election of the new Rector, so I was most grateful for the Secretary-General and the IT Department in working hard to ensure the smooth connection and my participation in the meetings.

I appreciated this accommodation due to my professional obligations at the conference. but I am looking forward to participating in the November meeting in person.

For more about the history of SEEU:

 https://www.seeu.edu.mk/en/about/history


 
Taken during my first visit to the SEEU Tetovo campus in January 2017

Article: Matthew Cimitile: USF St. Petersburg Signs First American University Collaboration Agreement with South East European University


https://www.usfsp.edu/home/2018/05/25/usf-st-petersburg-signs-first-american-university-collaboration-agreement-with-south-east-european-university/


USF St. Petersburg Signs First American University Collaboration Agreement with South East European University

Interim Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock (left) and Professor Blerim Reka from South East European University sign the collaboration agreement.
Interim Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock (left) and Professor Blerim Reka from South East European University sign the collaboration agreement.
(May 25, 2018) – At a signing ceremony last month, USF St. Petersburg became the first American higher education institution to form a collaboration agreement with South East European University in Macedonia. The agreement signed on April 24, 2018 promotes joint educational and research activities between the two universities, such as allowing for the exchange of visiting scholars to participate on joint projects.

It also begins discussions for developing a future undergraduate and graduate exchange program that would offer students from both universities the opportunity to study in a different country and experience that nation’s culture.

“We are excited for the research opportunities this agreement will give our students and faculty and is just another example of developing new ways for our community to engage globally,” said Interim Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock during the signing event.

South East European University is the first and only private-public not for profit university in Macedonia, established in 2001. It focuses on five concentrations, which are Contemporary Sciences and Technologies; Languages, Cultures and Communication; Law; Public Administration and Political Science; and Business and Economics.

“In 15 years we have become the second largest university in the country, with almost 6,000 students,” said Blerim Reka, Professor of International Relations and Law at SEEU and a former Ambassador.

Reka, who has written two dozen books, is an expert on the Balkans and involved in the development of constitutional frameworks for Macedonia and Kosova, came all the way from Skopje, Macedonia for the signing. While here, he also gave a talk for the USFSP community on the “Geopolitics of the Balkans: Between the West and Russia.” The talk detailed the recent geopolitical events and issues impacting the Balkans, influenced greatly by energy demands, culture, history and the competing forces of the European Union and Russia.

USFSP Political Science Professor Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan, Reka, Tadlock and College of Arts and Science Dean Frank Biafora pose after the signing event.
USFSP Political Science Professor Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan, Reka, Tadlock and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Frank Biafora pose after the signing event.
The collaboration agreement was initiated by USFSP Political Science Professor Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan, who was a Fulbright scholar in Macedonia during the Spring 2017 semester. McLauchlan taught constitutional law and civics courses at South East European University and at the University of Tetovo. Her time in the country – and a previous Fulbright scholarship to Moldova – form the basis for her current research on how civil society can strengthen rule of law efforts.
“At our Undergraduate Research Symposium this year, students from SEEU joined our students via Skype to present research posters comparing and contrasting decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights on different civil liberties issues,” said McLauchlan. “This is just the kind of research collaboration that we hope to foster even more with this agreement.”